Level Up Your Social Media Game In 5 Easy Steps

Solutions by Design

Social media has transformed the way businesses interact with customers, providing a powerful platform to build brand awareness, drive engagement, and increase sales. For many companies, an effective social media strategy is essential to long-term success. However, simply creating profiles on various platforms isn’t enough. To fully harness the potential of social media, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of how these platforms work, how to engage your audience, and how to align your strategy with your business goals.

Step 1. Choose the Right Platforms - One of the first steps in mastering social media for your business is selecting the right platforms. Not all social media networks are created equal, and the platforms you choose should align with your target audience and business objectives. Each platform serves a different purpose.

• Facebook: Great for community building, customer service, and targeted ads. It appeals to a broad audience and supports diverse content types such as videos, text, and images.
• Instagram: Perfect for visually driven businesses like fashion, lifestyle, or food. Instagram is great for high-quality imagery, short-form video content, and influencer marketing.
• LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B businesses, professional networking, and thought leadership. LinkedIn is where you share industry insights, company updates, and business opportunities.
• X/Twitter: Best for real-time updates, news, and concise content. Twitter is also a powerful platform for customer service and direct communication with your audience.
• TikTok: Popular among younger audiences, TikTok is best for short, engaging videos that can quickly go viral. It’s particularly effective for businesses looking to tap into Gen Z and millennial audiences.

Each platform caters to different demographics and content formats, so it’s important to tailor your approach based on your audience and business type.

Step 2. Develop a Content Strategy - A successful social media presence isn’t just about posting frequently, it’s about posting with purpose. To ensure you’re making the most of social media, you need a solid content strategy. Your strategy should include the following:

• Content Types: Social media supports various content formats, from blog posts and infographics to videos and polls. A mix of content types can help you engage different segments of your audience.
• Posting Frequency: Determine how often you should post on each platform. For example, Instagram might benefit from daily posts, while LinkedIn may only require a few updates per week.
• Tone and Style: Your brand’s voice should be consistent across platforms, but it can also adapt slightly to fit the unique culture of each network. LinkedIn might call for a more professional tone, while Instagram allows for a more casual, friendly voice.
• Engagement: Don’t just post and leave it at that…engage with your followers by replying to comments, liking their posts, and participating in conversations. Building relationships with your audience is key to growing your social media presence.

Step 3. Understand Social Media Algorithms - Most social media platforms use algorithms to determine what content gets seen by users. To ensure your posts reach your audience, it’s important to understand how these algorithms work. Generally, social media algorithms prioritize content that receives engagement (likes, comments, shares) and favors posts that keep users on the platform longer, such as video content.

To work with the algorithm, focus on creating engaging, high-quality content that resonates with your audience. Posting consistently and interacting with your followers will help increase visibility, as the platform will recognize that users find your content valuable.

Step 4. Social Media Advertising - Organic reach on social media is limited, and algorithms often favor paid content. Social media advertising allows businesses to reach highly specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer robust advertising tools that can help you promote your products, drive traffic, and generate leads.

Start by setting a budget and determining the goal of your campaign, whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, or direct sales. Use tools like Facebook Ads Manager or LinkedIn Campaign Manager to create targeted ads that align with your business goals and monitor the performance of your campaigns to optimize results.

Step 5. Measure Your Success - Tracking the performance of your social media efforts is crucial to understanding what works and what doesn’t. Most platforms provide built-in analytics tools that allow you to track key metrics such as:

• Engagement rates: Likes, shares, comments, and clicks.
• Reach and impressions: How many people saw your posts.
• Follower growth: The increase in your audience size over time.
• Conversions: Sales, sign-ups, or any other actions taken as a result of your posts.

By regularly reviewing these metrics, you can adjust your strategy to better meet your business goals and improve overall performance.

Mastering social media for your business takes time, strategy, and a deep understanding of how each platform works. By choosing the right platforms, developing a solid content strategy, understanding algorithms, leveraging paid advertising, and tracking your success, you can create a social media presence that drives real business results. Whether you're just starting or looking to take your social media game to the next level, focusing on these key elements will help you build a thriving online community and grow your business effectively.

If you need additional help or just want someone else to handle all of your social media needs…give Solutions by Design a call. Everything we do at Solutions by Design is custom designed and developed with your company in mind.

 

 

Create a Veterinarian Social Media Calendar

Solutions By Design

Did you know this month is "National Love Your Pet Day"? How are you celebrating "National Walk Your Dog Day"? You may have seen all these wacky, fun holidays people are celebrating on social media. It is a perfect opportunity to encourage your followers to never miss a chance to hashtag a holiday again!

These holidays are a great opportunity to encourage your followers to engage and you are able to create opportunities for great content to share. From #EmojiDay to #NationalPuppyDay, keep your social media up-to-date with our free social media holiday calendar.

• Create A Fun Environment
• Show Support For National Events & Holidays
• Encourage Customers To Get Involved In Your Office
• Connect With Customers On Social Media
• Take Fun Staff Photos
• Create Social Media Content
• Grow Your Followers
• Increase Your Visibility
• Build Relationships

The challenge is to continue to create engaging content and engage with your followers. Download selfie signs and a social media calendar of fun holidays for free on the Solutions By Design website. This will help you stand above your competitors and help create new content for your social media platforms.

4 Instagram Updates You May have Missed this Month

Social media is constantly changing. New platforms emerge, new algorithms throw away what once worked and new updates change the way we can create engaging content. With all these changes happening in real-time, you may have missed these four essential updates for Instagram.

There are more than 1 billion monthly active users of Instagram worldwide and that number is only growing as more people are using to share and interact with the businesses and brands they love. 90% of brands use social media to increase brand awareness and reach a potential audience through a strategic approach and curated unique content.

1. Eliminating the “Following" Tab

The ‘Following’ tab is being removed from Instagram. The ‘Following’ tab was a feature on the popular app within the ‘Activity’ tab, which would let users see how people they’re following were engaging on Instagram. All activity from people you’re following could be found in that ‘Following’ tab. “The ‘Following’ tab listed which posts and comments were recently liked by people you’re following.”

2. Dark Mode for Instagram

What is ‘dark mode’? Dark mode makes your screen, apps and whole appearance choose a dark system. According to Apple, “In iOS 13.0 and later, people can choose to adopt a dark system-wide appearance called Dark Mode. In Dark Mode, the system uses a darker color palette for all screens, views, menus, and controls, and it uses more vibrancy to make foreground content stand out against the darker backgrounds.” 

Anyone on iOS 13 or Android 10 is able to choose ‘dark mode’ on your phone and Instagram. 

3. New App: Threads

Instagram released its newest standalone messaging app called ‘Threads.’ Similar to Facebook Messenger. According to Instagram's announcement, “a new camera-first messaging app that helps you stay connected to your close friends.”

In ‘Threads,” you can only message your close friends from a list made by you on Instagram. You are able to share videos, messages, photos and Instagram Stories from your ‘Close Friends’ list.

Instagram announced, “for your smaller circle of friends, we saw the need to stay connected throughout the day, so you can communicate what you’re doing and how you’re feeling through photos and videos. That’s why we built Threads, a new way to message with close friends in a dedicated, private space.”

Threads: Instagram

4. Product Launch Stickers

500 million people use Instagram stories daily. As social media introduce more features within their platforms, there will be more ways for businesses to connect with their followers. Instagram specifically, is testing reminder notifications for product launches. 

“Today we’re testing a new way to set reminders about upcoming product launches so people can buy your products the moment they’re available, right on Instagram. From checkout to shopping from creators, this is part of our ongoing investment to make it easier for people to shop.”

Instagram

These reminders will help connect even further with your followers and reach potential customers. Four big updates to one social media platform are huge! Capitalize on online marketing and social media services for your business. Social programs are very much like any other specialized task or responsibility in your business. There is a steep learning curve that requires full-time attention and a continual focus on changing technology. That person has to be accountable for the message and its results. 

Solutions by Design offers affordable social media marketing for a fraction of the cost of what most companies offer. Call us so we can personally assess your needs and build a strategic social media program for you. 

Social Media: Your Guide to Hashtags!

You have seen them on social media, yet you may be asking yourself, “what are they and how do they work?” These famous blue letters are called “hashtags.” # - This symbol is synonymous with social media and has allowed those who use it, generate a wide reach on different social media platforms.

What is a Hashtag?

So what is a hashtag? In the most simplest of terms, a hashtag is a word or phrase comprised of letters and numbers (and an emoji now) that is preceded by the hashtag symbol (#)

Hashtag’s essential main function is for social media platforms. Hashtags categorize content that is easily searchable by simply clicking on the "hashtag." Clicking on a hashtag will allow you to browse posts and content that has been tagged with it. Posting your own content (photo, tweet, video) with a hashtag will allow your post to be discoverable to anyone who searches for the hashtag. Depending on the hashtag popularity and use, the reach and impressions on your post depend on the popularity of the hashtag. Of course, you will factor in your following strength and how popular your post is.

Why should  I use them?

Hashtags allow people searching for specific related content to find it. Hashtags function similar to links and are clickable. This allows people to find similar content and accounts to follow. Using the right hashtag or a combination of hashtags will expose your content to a large targeted audience. It is a great tool to find like-minded brands. By utilizing hashtags, you allow yourself (your company, your brand, your business) to be more discoverable, leading to new followers, leads, increasing likes and engagement. It is one of the best ways to organically attract a following and reach a targeted group of individuals, interested in your brand.

Where to use them?

You want to use your hashtags in 2 key social media platforms, Twitter and Instagram.

Twitter:

Twitter can be attributed to making the hashtag mainstream and a staple for Twitter accounts. Twitter is a place that group posts based on hashtags, leading to trending topics. Being strategic and relevant with hashtags to the content you are sharing on Twitter can lead to an increase in organic engagement.

Instagram:

Instagram is another social media platform that has embraces the use of hashtags. Using hashtags within captions and your content such as Instagram stories gives you the ability to curate your content. Most importantly, your content becomes discoverable when hashtags are utilized, the same way you can find new content when clicking on hashtags. Instagram goes a step further, allowing you to also follow hashtags, the same way you would follow an account. You can also add a hashtag to your bio, all helping your content reach its highest (organic) potential.

Different Types of Hashtags:

There are different types of hashtags and different ways you can incorporate them into your social media strategy.

Branded hashtags: Branded hashtags are hashtags that are specific to your brand. They most likely will contain your brand name, a particular product or refer to a specific series of content. One of our clients Waterhouse Animal Hospital utilizes the hashtag and their name (#waterhouseanimalhospital). Branded hashtags allow you to keep your content organized, discoverable and invites your customers/patients to use the same hashtag.

Campaign Hashtags: Campaign hashtags have a short lifespan and are tied to an event, a product launch, a contest or something you would like to keep track of for a short amount of time.

Community hashtags are general hashtags that are flooded with content on a daily basis. For example, these hashtags like #instapic or #throwbackthursday are used widely and not specific to a brand, business or person.

Hashtags are ultimately a great way to reach people and have become the best ways to organically attract a following and reach a targeted group of individuals, interested in your business.  Hashtags categorize content that is easily searchable by simply clicking on the "hashtag.” Which hashtags are you using or following? Need some more in-depth tips for your practice or business? Need help with social media or some tips, contact us for more information at info@solutionsbydesign.com

Social Media: Optimize YouTube to Work for You

YouTube has become a strong social media platform that can help accomplish your marketing goals. YouTube is another search engine part of the Google family, which is another way for people to find you. YouTube is a digital space for entertainment and information, but it’s most used important tool is helping anyone boost their online presence.

Video marketing leads to engagement and brand awareness, just as much as any other social media platform has. With billions of videos and views, a business/practice needs to break through the noise and get noticed in the first place. Here are 4 items that will help your video rank high and gain its target audience. These items are often forgotten and the first step in making YouTube work for you.

1. Optimize for SEO:

If you’re publishing videos on YouTube, you need an SEO strategy that will help your videos optimized for maximum exposure. As another search engine, your videos need to be able to be found. Just like a search engine for websites, YouTube uses an algorithm to rank videos and help viewers find what they are looking for.

• Utilize Keywords: Use keywords in your videos, tags, and descriptions. This is often forgotten when uploading videos, especially when it comes to tags. You can do your own keyword research to see what words or phrases show up related to your video topic. 
• Video Titles – Use the correct keywords related to your videos in the title. The more detailed and relevant to your video, the higher it will rank. 
• Video Tags – YouTube offers category tags when a video is uploaded to help define what overarching subjects it may relate to. The number of tags you can include is limited, so be sure to use only the most relevant keywords and phrases in your video tags. 

2. Be Consistent: 

If you are planning on using YouTube, be sure you have a strategic approach. This means a schedule to regularly upload videos. Being consistent will help you grow your subscribers and will help YouTube take into consideration your videos, ranking them higher.

3. A Branded Thumbnail:

One of the overlooked opportunities to enhance a video is the video thumbnail. By default, YouTube selects a frame from your video for viewers to see when your videos are searched. When editing your video, you can upload and select a frame. This is a great opportunity to create a branded thumbnail with a still image. Changing it to a branded thumbnail will help viewers recognize your videos and catch their attention since it is the first thing they will see.

4. Engage:

YouTube is a social media platform, engagement is one of the considerations in ranking videos. Engaging with your audience, such as reading comments, replying to users and answering questions can be beneficial for reputation management and just interacting with your subscribers.

Google Plus Shuts Down! What this Means for You?

In December 2018, Google announced to shut down Google+ in April 2019 due to low usage and challenges in maintaining their social platform.

Launched in 2011, Google + (Plus) was Google’s own social media network that was aimed at being different from its competitors back in 2011, such as Facebook and Twitter. Google + was said to become the next big social media platform. If you are unfamiliar with Google +, it allowed users to organize their connections in circles like “family” or “acquaintances”, the names of which remain private. There were no friend requests, and users could be added to each other’s circles, reaching out to people and following their updates.

Like many products that never fully take off or get to the level of social media giants such as Facebook or Instagram - Google + eventually decided to shut down entirely in 2019. What does this mean for you?

If you or your business utilize Google + as another way to distribute information or post updates such as photos, you will want to download all your information before it all disappears.

As of right now (Feb. 2019) you will no longer be able to create new pages on Google + (Plus). On April 2nd, your Google+ account and any Google+ pages you created will be shut down. Google will begin deleting content from Google +. According to Google, photos and videos in your Album Archive and your Google+ pages will also be deleted. You can download and save your content before April. If you have photos backed up in Google Photos, they are safe and will not be deleted.

If you utilize the Google+ Sign-in button when logging into a website, these buttons will stop working in the coming weeks but in some cases may be replaced by a Google Sign-in button, according to Google. You'll still be able to sign in with your Google Account wherever you see Google Sign-in buttons.

With that said, this is another example of technology and social media ever-changing daily. It is important to adapt and have a great social media strategy that is adaptable. Social programs are very much like any other specialized task or responsibility in your business. There is a steep learning curve that requires full-time attention and a continual focus on changing technology. Need help or some tips. Contact us for more information. 

5 Ways to Increase Organic Reach on Social Media

Social media is changing the way we view content, the way we check our phones and the way we view businesses. With social media algorithms constantly changing day to day, your content can find it tough to stand out from other content on search engines or social media platforms.

A lot of businesses/practices rely on organic reach on social media. Organic reach is how your social media posts perform without money behind them. Social media algorithms are always changing, with its most recent trend, organic reach is declining with social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram favoring advertising and posts with a budget behind it.

Early last year, Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg announced a change in how Facebook displays one's feed. “You’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media,” Mark Zuckerberg said at the start of 2018. “And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard—it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.”

This could mean that your posts may not be reaching as many people as before. However, there are ways you can ensure your target audience is being reached and that your content is being displayed and given preference. Here are 5 ways to increase your organic reach on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

1. Publish Quality Content 

It is no use to constantly publish content if there is no strategy behind your posts. It is also hurting your rankings if you are publishing too many posts at one time. Ensure your work is quality content that your audience will want to engage with - news links, photos, videos or questions. The more your audience engages with your social media, the more it gets pushed at the top.

2. Create Unique Content: 

Don’t just repost to every platform - instead, take the time to ensure your content is posted and captions are written specifically for each appropriate platform. Tailor each social media post to each platform. 

3. Share Content: 

Sharing content from others in your community or industry, will not only give you additional social media content but help increase your organic reach on social media. Whether it is a retweet, a user-generated post on Instagram or sharing blogs and articles, sharing content is beneficial for both you and your audience. 

4. Know the Algorithms 

Social media algorithms are what determines how and when content is displayed to you, and it is constantly changing. Each platform has its own social media algorithm. At Solutions By Design, our social media marketing services, keep track of social algorithms so you don’t have to, ensuring you are always ahead of the changes in digital marketing and social media. 

5. Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are becoming a big component of Instagram and can help businesses of any type grow their following and reach more people organically. If you are not using Instagram Stories, you are missing a big marketing opportunity. Launched in 2017, Instagram Stories allows you to tag locations, tag other users and use hashtags - all which make your story and profile discoverable by other methods.

Want to know how Solutions by Design can grow and impact your social media strategy? Solutions By Design can help you make professional and intelligent decisions that will be advantageous in setting the fate of your overall digital marketing efforts. Give us a call at 800-888-4084.

New Year, New Office

Happy New Year from Solutions by Design! Back in October, we moved into our new fantastic office space, that will allow Solutions by Design to work in a collaborative and open environment. Complex problems require diverse solutions and our team at Solutions By Design are skilled to help our clients accomplish their goals. From web design to social media marketing to our interactive display board - we maintain a unique balance of highly talented individuals, each specializing in his or her area of service. We love our new office space!

Photo Booth Fun with Montage

Everyone loves a fun photo!

The Montage Photo Booth Widget captures hundreds of patient images all upon the patient approval. You can place them anywhere in your office. The Montage board seamlessly integrates from the Montage board to a website. This can greatly enhance website optimization and grow your social media following. It creates user-generated content and an interactive experience for your patients. 

Patients can also send these photos to themselves and post on their social media platforms. These fun images were captured by the Montage Photo Booth at Waterhouse Animal Hospital.  For more information on Montage or our other products, call our office at (800) 888-4084.

Still smiling after two shots and finding out he has a double ear infection😄 #ourhappyboy #bento

A post shared by Red & Fred (@red_and_fred) on Feb 5, 2018 at 3:37pm PST

We love this! Don't forget to use the photo booth in our office and share your photos with us of you and your furry family member. 🐾

A post shared by Waterhouse Animal Hospital (@waterhouseanimalhospital) on May 9, 2018 at 1:24pm PDT

🐾ffsf

Facebook Testing Improved Local Search Feature To Offer Users Business Suggestions

Our favorite social media network is at it again. Facebook is currently testing a new and improved local search feature that may take away from Foursquare, Yelp, and Google Maps. According to TechCrunch, Facebook has confirmed that users are able to catch recommendations of nearby places. This works by entering something like “nearby vet” or “orthodontist nearby” in the mobile or web search of Facebook. By doing this, users will receive a list of relevant businesses near their location, as well as their Facebook ratings, map, and friends who have liked or visited the place in query.

At the moment Facebook is declining to share any further details on this addition, or how long this testing has been in progress. It is possible that some users are able to utilize this function, while others are slowly gaining access or don’t have it at all.

In regards to how Facebook determines which results to provide to the user, that answer is currently uncertain. It has been noted that the order of which locations are shown first is not determined by the number of reviews, rating, or proximity to your current location.

We will continue to keep you informed on this new Facebook feature as it unfolds. In the meantime, connect with Solutions by Design on social media to stay updated on social media news and more.

We #MannequinChallenge You

The latest internet craze is the Mannequin Challenge! The #MannequinChallenge involves a group of people to strike a pose while being filmed to hip hop artist Rae Sremmurd’s newly released song “Black Beatles” in the background.

The first viral video of the Mannequin Challenge surfaced in October 2016, and it's now trending all across the net. There are currently more than 56,000 posts with the hashtag #MannequinChallenge and the number rises every day. Now, it’s our turn!

Just a typical day at Solutions by design…#MannequinChallenge



The Mannequin Challenge is easy to create and fun to participate in! It’s so fun, we’re challenging YOU to create your own clip! It may seem a little odd, but trust us, it’s a powerful form of social media marketing and branding. Many brands have received amazing results while posting viral videos such as this, so join us and take on our challenge!

Tag Us! 

Don’t forget to tag us in your mannequin challenge videos! Use #SBDMadeMeDoIt so we can LIKE & SHARE your video!

What Can Social Media Do For Your SEO?

There is a misunderstanding for many business owners about how to grow your organic rankings on search engines like Google. Having an experienced and skilled SEO director is a key to achieving higher rankings, but it’s important to remember that without social media, particularly a social media strategist, your organic rankings will not advance to the optimum level of achievement. These days, simply having your business profile on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram isn’t enough to boost your search rankings. There is more to it.  You need to ask yourself one simple question, do you have a consistent social media strategy in place for your business? If you don't, you need one in order to see an increase in organic search rankings. Remember, if you're not in the number one spot, your competitor is.

What’s a social media strategy?
Simply having a social media presence is not enough these days; you must be active, engaging, and monitoring your social media profiles regularly. It’s important to recognize what social media channels will fit the needs of your business industry, set realistic goals for these channels, and implement them on a consistent basis. One important realization to keep in mind is social media is overwhelming, and with so many social networks out there comes constant new features to track and stay educated on in order to integrate them into your social media strategy.

What can social media do for your SEO?
Social media and SEO are in a tactical relationship with each other. How so? They are both strategies that focus on creating an appealing identity that will increase visitors.  Having a strong plan for each of these will benefit the other. Having a solid social media strategy and presence can influence your Google rankings and improve your SEO. This includes updating, monitoring, and implementing everything on your social media pages from the quality of your followers to the content you post and engagement on your page. If you don’t have a skilled social media manager with the expertise of utilizing social media for increasing your SEO, then you need to think about how serious you are about achieving the highest organic ranking you can.

If you don’t have a full-time social media manager at your business, no need to panic. Solutions by Design has social media services with experts who will develop and implement social media strategies for you. We specialize in working with businesses on social media and SEO and can help you reach your goals and increase your search engine optimization. Visit our website or give us a call for more information. 800-888-4084.

Google’s War Against Pop-Ups

Last month Google announced that they would begin penalizing websites that display content-blocking pop-ups. These are called “interstitial ads,” you can find these all over the Internet as you try to browse certain websites. This is how they work: you navigate to an article that you want to read and as you are just starting with the first paragraph, a pop-up appears that blocks the content. These pop-ups usually want you to sign up for their newsletter, purchase a subscription, or will display an advertisement for a product or service.

Sometimes it is hard to find the button to close the pop-up, and some even prevent you from closing the pop-up unless you click through the advertisement. These pop-ups are irritating and Google is making sure that websites with these types of ads don’t make it into their search results. Google’s focus is on the user's website experience, especially when it relates to mobile browsing, and this type of advertising interferes with that experience.

What does this mean for our clients? We have always advised against adding pop-up advertising for our clients and will continue to do so. There are much better and less annoying ways to get your message to your visitors. Now that Google will start penalizing websites that utilize pop-up advertising, you can’t afford to choose this option in the future.  

If you have a website with interstitial ads, contact Solutions by Design to discuss updating your site. We have a full in-house staff of graphic designers, web developers, programmers, and more, as well as specialize in custom websites.  Also, we don't use templates and have over 30 years of experience assisting clients all over the world with maintaining branding, web presence, and our clients have top rankings on Google. Call us today 800-888-4084.  

Introducing Instagram Stories

Many of our clients have asked about or considered starting a Snapchat account, but after realizing that it really requires a full-time staff member to maintain an active successful account, they opt out. Well, we have some good news for those of you wanting to add to your social media presence, but not ready for the responsibilities of Snapchat. Earlier this month, Instagram announced its latest feature: Instagram Stories.

Instagram Stories allows users to upload impromptu or behind-the-scenes pictures and videos to their followers that last for 24 hours. After the 24 hour period, the upload will disappear without changing anything on your Instagram profile. The process of uploading your Instagram Stories is almost identical to that of Snapchat, but if you’re unfamiliar with the process don’t worry, we have you covered!

Check out the steps of adding a story to your Instagram account and take advantage of this feature for your business.

Step 1: Click the plus symbol on the top left corner of your Instagram feed. 

Step 2: Hit the circle camera button to take a picture or video. Hold it down for the video option.

Step 3: Be creative. Add a drawing to your upload by using the buttons on the top right corner.

Step 4: Swipe left or right to choose a filter. There are 7 options. 

Step 5: Hit the check mark on the bottom to add the picture or video to your Instagram Story.

For more tips and tricks from Solutions by Design be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on our Facebook & Instagram.

Rank Before Your Competitors! Tips For Effective Local SEO

The majority of businesses provide goods or services locally, meaning their customer base is confined to a certain geographical area. For example, an orthodontist or a veterinarian provide their services to a city, county, or region where their client base is within easy driving distance.

So for these businesses, all of their SEO efforts should be tuned to providing local results. But what are some of the ways in which a business can effectively target the local market and get the highest possible rankings?

Optimize your “Google My Business” page

Some of our SEO clients prefer that we handle the setup and maintenance of their Google My Business page. This is Google’s portal for local businesses to provide important information such as location, hours, business category, etc. Having an optimized Google My Business page is essential for your local SEO efforts.

But by far, most of our SEO clients control their own Google My Business page. For those of you that do, here are some tips for properly maintaining your page:

• Add a business address that is consistent with local directories as well as your website 
• Select the correct category for your business 
• Add a local business phone number to your listing 
• Add a unique business description, and include links to your other social media pages 
• Add your business hours 
• Upload a high-resolution cover photo and profile image 
• Upload as many photos (and videos) as possible 

Ask your customers for reviews

Having positive reviews builds trust in your business and gives your customers confidence. It also helps a great deal in how your business is ranked locally with your competitors. There’s no such thing as too many positive reviews.

Some SEO clients offer incentives for customers to leave reviews, which can certainly be effective, but there are other ways in which you can encourage your customers. Remember, it is best to capture reviews as soon as possible from your customers because they are more likely to respond favorably to your request rather than six months down the road.

• A simple hand-out or email that lists various review sites, and asks them to choose one or more 
• A place on your website that captures their attention and provides links to the various review sites 
• An occasional posting on social media that asks customers to leave a review, along with links to top review sites 
• Train your staff to routinely ask your customers for reviews 

There are many more tips for local SEO. The important thing to remember is that you put in the time and effort for the best results. If you are interested in improving your local SEO rankings, now is the time to do it. Your competitors are. The longer you wait the harder it will be to catch up to them. Contact Solutions By Design today to get started, call 800-888-4084.

The Ultimate Facebook Secret to Success for Orthodontic Practices

Lately, we’ve been getting a ton of questions from clients confused about social media and how to create effective social media strategies on social networks. This is a huge topic, seriously, we could write pages and pages on it! To make your lives easier, and save our hands from carpal tunnel, we decided to share with you the ultimate Facebook secret to success for orthodontic practices.

Here it is…USE YOUR CURRENT PATIENTS AS BRAND AMBASSADORS ON FACEBOOK FOR YOUR PRACTICE!

How do you do this, you ask? Simple. Engage with your patients when they’re at your practice and encourage them to connect with you online, specifically on Facebook. One way to do this is something a lot of our social media clients currently do; use strategic Facebook contests.

Let’s explore this a little more.

So many practices do contests, but the real question is, are contests being done right? This Summer, Solutions by Design’s social media clients have tons of custom created contests that are efficient for the practices social media marketing strategies. Several of our custom created contests promote patients to post selfies and tag the practice on Facebook, in order to be entered to win a prize from their doctor.

By doing this, we have the patients utilizing the power of social media for the practices brand awareness.  Yes, posting photos of the patients to the Facebook business page is great, but having patients post their own photos and tagging the practice is even better, and the ultimate secret to social media success. By doing something like this, your patients become brand ambassadors for your practice on Facebook.  Ultimately, this connects their closest friends and followers with your practice because they tag your practice on Facebook, and this shows the world of Facebook they do business with you. All while they think they're just entering a contest.This eliminates extra costs of paying to boost Facebook posts, purchase Facebook advertisements, or worrying about HIPAA consent forms.

Also, when your patients tag you in a post, Facebook will notify your practice, and provide you with the option to share the post on your practice's page.

Custom designed contests are just one of the several ways our social media clients use patients as brand ambassadors. Are you interested in learning more about our social media services? Contact our trusted social media department and ask for more details or client reviews.  Remember, there are several companies out there claiming to provide similar services, but they’re based on limited experience and misguided advice; especially when it comes to the area of orthodontic marketing. 

Oh What A Show

The 2016 AAO Annual Session was a success for the Solutions by Design booth! We traveled all the way from California to Orlando, Florida to showcase our wonderful products, services, and offer great promos that so many new and existing clients took advantage of. If you didn't have a chance to stop by our booth, don't worry, we are creating some wonderful post-show promos that will be coming out soon.

Check out this time-lapse video of our booth from the 2016 AAO Annual Session to see if you made the video cut!

Again, thank you for coming to the show! See you all next year in San Diego, California!

How To Get Your Patients To Check-In On Facebook

Reminding customers to check-in on Facebook is a key to success for your social media marketing campaign. It’s important to remember the exposure on Facebook is great for your business, but we understand the big question is, how do you get customers to check-in?

Chances are most customers are armed with smartphones, and have an active Facebook account. As it takes only a few simple taps on the screen for them to check-in, getting them to do so can be a bit tricky at times. Here are a few ways you can increase the odds that your customers will take the small effort to check-in at your location.

Post Signage

Ask your social media manager for the marketing tools you need to help customers be reminded to check-in. Be sure to utilize posters or table tents by strategically placing them in areas with the most foot traffic. If you need custom posters or table tents created, contact us. We are always happy to design customer work for our clients.

Ask Your Patients to Check-in

Nothing is more effective than simply asking your customers to check-in on Facebook. Tell them about your social media marketing campaign and encourage them to connect with you online to stay updated on promos, events, giveaways, and more.

Encourage Employees to Check-in

One way to get your check-in process moving along is to have your employees check-in. They have friends and family members on their Facebook page that will see the check-in by them, and consider doing so themselves.

Remind your own friends and family to check-in at your location too. When they’re visiting your location, ask them to check-in. Chances are, they will do so without hesitation.

Become A Checkin4Charity.com Member

Solutions by Design introduces checkin4charity.com, an exciting social media tool that creates amazing customer impressions and reach for fractions of a penny. This may be the lowest cost-per-point advertising and social media marketing tool available in the world. Our Facebook integration connects your customer's Facebook account to your Facebook page when they check-in at your business to benefit checkin4charity.com.

As a checkin4charity.com member, we provide you with the marketing tools to help increase the number of check-ins at your business. These tools include a digital display with scrolling details about the charity of the month, and impactful images that encourage your customers to check-in.

Also included in the membership are posters, table tents, social media announcements, and a custom social media graphic every month for your social media manger to post on your current Facebook page and social media channels. Your social media channels are one of the best places to direct people to check-in, since you’re likely speaking to those who are avid social media users. You may want to also add this graphic to your website, or blog, for more exposure to those who may not be following you on social media.

Remember, Solutions by Design is here to support your business and guide you along the way. Contact us to learn about our current social media packages and our checkin4charity.com memberships.

The Secret To Higher Invisalign Rankings

Before Invisalign made a concerted effort to advertise nationally through television and online advertising, orthodontic practice websites usually maintained high rankings in Invisalign searches by simply having one or two pages of Invisalign content. But that’s not the case anymore.

Now that more people are aware of what Invisalign is and how it works, and because more people than ever are searching for information and providers, those websites with minimal Invisalign information are seeing drastic decreases in rankings in the search results. So what’s the solution?

If you conduct a search for “Invisalign in (your city)” you will begin to notice one key difference between those at the top of the rankings and those at the bottom. Clicking on the top websites will present you with far more Invisalign information, including pages with videos, testimonials, and other information. This is a great example of Google’s focus on relevance.

Google has decided, and rightly so, that someone looking for information on Invisalign will want as much information as possible in one location. Given the choice between one page of general information or multiple pages with videos and other resources, which one would you choose?

If you are serious about increasing your Invisalign rankings, now is the time to add more Invisalign content to your website. Your competitors are. The longer you wait the harder it will be to catch up to them. Contact Solutions By Design today to get started, call 800-888-4084.

Avoid SEO & Social Media Service Provider Scams

More business owners now understand the importance of SEO and Social Media for their online efforts.  If you don’t have proper SEO, or a current Social Media campaign, you’re just not going to grow your business; it’s as simple as that.  With the rise of demand for these services, also come several unqualified companies offering them to business owners, and most with a much lower rate than specialists.  Beware of scammer SEO and Social Media service providers and their enticing advertisements that actually are too good to be true.
Keep reading for red flags of SEO and Social Media service scams.
Learn to recognize these red flags before considering them for hire:

• Offshore or no address operations.

Several scams are headquartered offshore, making it difficult for regulators to shut down the scam and recover investors’ funds.  Also, several people familiar with the basic knowledge of SEO and Social Media claim to be online experts and have started offering these services to companies at dramatically lower rates.  These self-proclaimed experts typically don’t provide an address or location of business on any form of contact; this is because they are not a legitimate company with credentials in the field, but someone offering services from their home.

• Professional websites with little to no information.

Anyone can put up a website or hire a web designer to do so.  Scam sites may look professional, but they offer little to no information about the company’s management, location or details about the services promised.

• Offers that seem too good to be true usually are.

Now that so many people are offering SEO and Social Media services, keep in mind you get what you pay for.  A lot of these companies offering services for reduced rates usually provide generic content used for all clients.  Also, they use word choices that make the buyer think they’re getting much more than usual. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients who have faced this problem. An example of this is an offer that states “we will enhance your social media by streaming it on your website.”  This does not mean they will post custom content on social media, it means they will add your social media page to your website; but not post on it.  This does you no good.

• This company is known for specializing in a different field.

Did you recently get contacted from a company for SEO and Social Media that typically specializes in a completely different field?  Look into this business and see how long they’ve specialized in SEO & Social Media.  Make sure they have the credentials and aren’t just coming up with new ways to make fast money, and short you on services.  Most of our clients have seen this before coming to SBD, and it’s easy to spot just by checking reviews online.    It makes no sense to hire a film production company to handle your online marketing strategies, for example, so don’t be fooled by those claiming to specialize in SEO and Social Media when they don’t.
Why SBD is the best choice for SEO and Social Media Services:

• Solutions By Design has been in business for over 30 years offering professional services to clients worldwide.
• We offer custom content with every client – no spam, generic posts. All 100% original content and design.
• Our team is experienced and trained with credentials in marketing, SEO, programming, graphic design, videography, etc.
• We become an extended part of your team with constant interaction with office point of contact to keep your followers updated on what is going on with you.
• We’re a fraction of the expense it would be to hire an employee.
• We manage your page & let you focus on doing your job.
• Social delivers positive return on investment because it is another tool in your marketing arsenal.
• 100% of SBD SEO Clients who have been with us for 90 days or more see almost all of their keywords ranking on the first page of results in Google.
• We provide monthly analytical reports of metrics.